Second Chances
by ShadowOfApate
Summary: Willow's Birthday brings out several hard truths that goes back to a tragic childhood incident.


Birthday Fiction Challenge Response

Title: Second Chances

Chapter: One

Rating: R

Pairing: Willow/Buffy

Timeline: Last seen episode 

Spoilers: Only for aired episodes

Beta Readers: Drakes Shadow the  
cute bat and Dark Gremlin

Summary: With Willow's 21st  
birthday coming up, she's haunted by  
past mistakes that cost her the only  
real family she's ever had. But in the  
process of dealing with her own medical  
problems and searching for answers in  
her brothers apparent death, she might   
find that sometimes what you're  
searching for is right in front of you.

Note: Shadow and Gremlin were huge  
helps in the writing of this fiction.  
In fact, you could say they tag teamed  
me.

Disclaimer: All characters belong  
to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and  
Paramount Studios.

------- 

T he nine year old red head   
tackled her fifteen year old brother  
with a squeal. The athletic red haired  
teenager barely grabbed the abnormally  
small girl before she could knock him  
down. Laughing at her antics, she found  
herself pinned to the floor while he  
tickled her mercilessly.

" David!!! "

The football player sat back letting  
her get her breath back. " That's what  
you get for trying to ambush me. "

" I wasn't. " She protested weakly.  
" I was testing your reactions. "

David laughed at the innocence she  
was practically radiating. " Willow, if  
I didn't know you so well I might  
believe you. "

Willow sat up turning on her best  
pout. " Can we go to the Diablo house  
now? " 

David sighed at the question she'd  
been asking non-stop for days. " That's  
absolutely out of the question and you   
know it. "

" But it's my birthday. "

" We've already been over this, I am  
not taking you to that house. "

Willow glared at the bigger  
Rosenberg, " Fine. I'm going to my  
room. "

" Willow..." 

She ignored his plea and stomped up  
the stairs to her room, slamming the  
door behind her. If he wouldn't take  
her than she'd go herself. She didn't  
care what all the stupid legends say,  
there was no such things as ghosts and  
witches and all that other mumbo  
jumbo, and tonight she was going to   
prove it once and for all.

She scrambled out the french doors  
and down the trail. The only problem  
now was getting to Diablo  
forest before her brother discovered  
she was missing and spoiled her fun.  
Normally she'd take her bike, but after   
Xander crashed it while trying to show  
off for Cordelia it wasn't rideable.  
The only bike in riding condition now  
was David's, in point of fact, his bike  
was one of those speed bikes. Twenty  
One gears...

She quickly went to the porch where   
the bike was propped up. From there it  
was rather simple getting to the  
stretch of forest on the out skirts of  
town, so much so that she didn't  
remember much about it.

The first thing she could clearly  
concentrate on was the long dark dirt  
road, disappearing into the thick trees  
that ran along the untouched area not  
more than a few miles from the main  
road. The trees blocked out the small  
amount of light that the moon produced  
making it almost impossible to see very  
far.

She slowed slightly, turning onto  
the over grown dirt road, using the   
bike headlight to see. Strangely there  
didn't seem to be any of the noises she  
expected from an untouched piece of  
land. Animals, insects, owls... They  
were all silent, and it made her   
slightly nervous.

" WILLOW!!! "

She sped up at the sound of her  
brother calling to her. If she could   
just find the ruins of the house, than  
maybe he'd let her... 

She screamed out as something...

Willow sat up quickly strangling her  
scream with her hands. " It was a   
dream, it was only a dream. It was a  
dream..."

She flicked the lamp on, climbing  
out of the bed on unsteady legs. She  
couldn't seem to stop the shaking in  
her hands or the panicked breathing  
that had her on the verge of   
hyperventilating. It had been years  
since she'd had those nightmares, or  
memorymares, or whatever they were  
called. She'd hoped that those were  
behind her, but it seemed they weren't.  
Maybe it was her up coming birthday, or  
the fact that the last time she'd had  
dinner with her parents they'd heaped  
the blame of David's death on her more  
than usual. Or maybe it was the news  
report on the bodies discovered near  
the old ruins. Whatever it was they  
were back.

" Well I won't be getting anymore  
sleep tonight." She muttered sadly. 

Resigned to going without any sleep,  
she quietly left her room in search of  
something cold to drink. All she wanted  
to do was to forget everything. The  
problem was that with her birthday, the  
same day that was the anniversary of  
her brothers death, was coming up which  
meant there would only be lots of  
reminders. It didn't help that she  
spent twenty four seven helping the  
slayer save the world and stop evil.  
Yet another reminder.

She ran one of her twitching hands  
through her hair, and flicked on the  
kitchen light, taking pleasure in the  
cold tiles against her bare feet. She  
probably should've taken the time to  
put on something over the slightly damp  
boxers and tank top. Except her mind  
wasn't exactly engaged yet. It was   
still running so fast that she couldn't  
do anything but let it.

" Stupid mania..." She complained,  
jerking the refrigerator door open.

" Nightmare?"

' Just what I need. ' She thought  
dryly, turning to glance at the slayer  
leaning in the doorway. " I didn't mean  
to wake you. "

" I was already awake. " Buffy  
entered the kitchen with that look that  
said that she was trying to be careful  
and that she wasn't going to stop until  
she got some answers. " I heard a  
muffled scream from your room and I was   
worried. "

" I'm fine, it was just a bad dream. "

" It might help if you talked about  
it. " 

Willow gritted her teeth against the  
sudden flood of memories threatening to  
break free. " Actually I wanted to talk  
to you about something. "

" Whatever you want, I'm always here  
for you. "

The witch turned to the slayer,  
trying to push back the guilt of what  
she was about to do, but she needed to  
stop Buffy from questioning her about  
her dream. " What did you mean when you  
said that once someone falls for me  
they stay fallen? "

Buffy blanched visibly, gripping the  
counter with clenched fists. " Wh-what? "

" I mean, it sounded like you were   
saying it from experience. "

" You think I'm in love with you? "  
Buffy choked.

" Are you? " 

" Nonono, of course not. I-I mean  
you're my best friend, and I wouldn't  
want to do anything to lose you. " 

Willow slowly approached the dirty  
blonde, suddenly understanding what the  
slayer was hinting at. " You'll never   
lose me, and especially not over  
something like that. " 

Buffy tensed slightly as Willow came  
to a stop a few inches from her. " It  
doesn't matter. "

" Of course it matters. " Willow  
said sharply. " Now answer the  
question. "

" It doesn't matter, because even if  
I did have feeling for you, you  
wouldn't return them. "

" You don't know that. " 

Buffy moved forward quickly,  
claiming Willow's lips in a short kiss.  
Their lips lightly brushing against the  
other before deepening and retreating.  
Leaving the slayer whimpering softly,  
and Willow surprised. The witch eyed  
the slayer than started out of the  
kitchen. " We should go back to bed. " 

" Yeah.." Buffy slammed her fist  
onto the counter, holding back the  
tears. She'd waited years for some sign   
that Willow returned her feelings,  
she'd stood by while she'd discovered  
that her friend really was gay. She'd  
even given her a shoulder to cry on  
whenever something happened with Tara,   
and through everything she'd been so  
careful not to let any hint of her  
feelings show, only for her to slip up.  
Now she blew it, she'd not only been  
rejected but she probably lost her   
best friend in the process.

The saddened slayer made her way towards  
the stairs not sure what to do. She  
should talk to Willow of course, but  
was it better to get it over with or to   
wait until tomorrow? Should she lie  
and say it was some spell that the nerd  
brigade put on her, or just tell the  
truth and promise it would never happen  
again?

She put her hand on top of Willow's  
boxers that were hanging off the rail  
and started... Buffy froze, slowly  
turning her head to look at the emerald  
green silk boxers. They were Willow's,  
and they had been on Willow just a few  
minutes earlier, so why...? She firmly   
stopped the naughty ideas that were  
threatening to come out and play.

" She probably just..." She choked  
as no logical, innocent explanation  
occurred to her. " I..I should return  
them. Now..right now. She'll get cold,  
and I don't want my best friend cold. "

She quickly walked up the rest of  
the stairs, pausing just before  
reaching the top as she spotted a small  
white tank top that looked suspiciously   
like the one a certain red head had  
been wearing. Suddenly those  
outrageously naughty ideas were  
rampaging through her lust idled  
brain.

Snatching up the tank top she turned   
to Willow's door and nearly choked on  
her own tongue. Hanging from the knob  
of the half opened bedroom door was a  
pair of sheer satin emerald green  
thongs, and just inside the door she   
could clearly see bare skin lighting  
candles.

' Naked. Bare. Skin. Willow. ' She  
slowly inched into the room, absently  
grabbing the thongs as she passed them,  
and closed the door. If Willow killed  
her for seeing her like that, than at   
least she'd die happy. On the other  
hand, if Willow didn't kill her, it would  
be enough to get her through the rest  
of her life.

She felt her arms go boneless,  
dropping the cloths to the floor, not  
that the slayer was capable of noticing   
at that moment. All she could seem to  
notice was the smooth pale skin on  
Willow's back, the way it blended into  
two round firmly shaped cheeks, and two  
muscular thighs. The red head's arms  
were slim and trim, covering her view  
of her breasts, but giving her a  
glimpse of her sides and just a hint of  
the small pert orbs.

She wanted to take the larger woman  
into her arms and explore the delicate  
body until she'd memorized every   
imperfection and crevice. She wanted  
to go over and over the satin skin with  
her tongue, lips, fingers, palms, and  
press their bare bodies together, soul  
to soul, heart to heart, body to body  
until they were no longer Buffy and  
Willow, but one soul, heart, and body.

" ..." She clenched her hands into  
fists desperately trying to stop the  
swiftly building pressure in her  
stomach. If she didn't regain some kind   
of control then she was going to... "  
Oh god...!!!! " 

She felt two warm arms pull against  
her skin as her legs gave out under  
her. The sheer enormity and the  
resulting shame she felt drove her into  
burrowing her face in the ex-witches  
neck. " Please kill me now. "

Suddenly that damned bedroom scene  
in American Pie wasn't so funny   
anymore. Nope, definitely not funny. She  
was never going to watch that movie  
again.

" That was cool. I've never ever had  
that reaction on anyone before. "

She risked looking up at her friend,  
to make sure that the pride she'd heard  
was there, and sure enough the  
red haired woman was blushing with a  
silly grin on her face. A silly grin  
that made her look incredibly sexy and  
edible. A sexy, naked, red haired  
witch. ' Naked. Bare. Skin. Willow. '

" ... " She gripped her friend in  
a death grip as she felt the problem  
resurface and then Willow's mouth was  
over her's, cutting off her scream. '  
Oh...i-is it even possible to do that   
with your tongu...oh... '

-------- 

Willow finished splitting the eggs  
onto the three plates, careful to keep  
them from getting mixed up with the  
hashbrowns and turkey bacon. She was  
feeling extremely happy that morning,  
and wanted to surprise the household  
with a large breakfast. After all, it  
wasn't everyday that she became lovers  
with the person she loved the most in  
all the world.

" Someone's in a good mood. "

Willow beamed at the teen grumbling  
her way into the kitchen. " Good  
morning, Dawnie. Here you go, just like  
you like it. "

The dark haired girl took the  
heaping plate and one of the glasses   
filled with juice, but made sure to  
throw a glare in her direction. " Oh  
sure, fine, keep the teen up all night  
and try to buy her off with breakfast.  
"  
" What were you doing awake? "

" Gee I wonder. " Dawn muttered. "  
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you and  
Buffy finally pulled your heads out of  
your..."

" Dawn Josephine Summers, if you  
finish that sentence you will spend the  
next month cleaning this house, Xander's  
apartment, and the magic box. "

Willow pulled the blonde slayer into  
a soft kiss. " Good morning. "

" Yes it is. "

" Like I was saying. I think it's  
great, but do you think you guys could  
keep it down from now on. " 

Willow squeaked turning a deep red  
at the teens remark. She knew exactly  
what the dark haired girl was talking  
about. After she'd finally managed to  
get the slayer undressed and into bed,  
she'd spent the first couple of hours  
playing with the dirty blondes over  
sensitivity, and discovering just how  
loud she was capable of screaming when  
she had the right incentive. Of course  
after that it had been the slayers  
turn, and while the blonde had fumbled  
quite a bit, it had still been an  
incredible experience emotionally.

" I can't promise anything what with  
Willow having such a talented tong..."

" NOOOOO!!!! " Dawn clamped her  
hands over her ears and began to hum  
loudly.

" You give up? " Buffy asked. 

" Yes!!! Just no more Willow talk,  
please." Dawn's eye went wide as she  
turned to Willow with a deer in the   
headlines look. " Oh, when I was  
putting your laptop back I noticed the  
birthday card from your great aunt. Why   
didn't you tell us that your birthday  
was in a few days? " 

" What? It's your birthday? "

Willow stepped out of Buffy's arms,  
" It's no big deal. "

" How can you say that? " Dawn  
asked. " If it was you you'd be having  
a mega tantrum over not knowing..."

" Dawn..."

" She's right Will. "

" Oh my gosh, you know what we  
should do, we should have a party. " 

" We can invite the entire gang, and  
her parents of course, but we might  
want to have it outside during the day  
so that Spike can't crash it..."

" NO!! No, no party, no celebration.  
Just forget it alright? "

" But Willow..." Dawn whined.

" I said no, Dawn! What about no do  
you not understand?!!" Willow yelled.

The red head spun from them and  
stormed out the back door, slamming it  
behind her. The streets were a blur  
through the tears streaming down her  
cheeks, until she simply collapsed in  
mid sob in the middle of the nearby  
cemetery.

She'd spent so much time keeping her  
friends from finding out when her  
birthday was. Every time they asked her  
she'd always say that they missed it,  
or she'd simply changed the subject,  
which until a few minutes ago had  
worked. Xander just couldn't dates  
straight so he wasn't the problem, and  
Buffy was easy to distract if the   
person knew what they were doing. Giles  
was usually to caught up in some  
apocalypse or some book to really do  
any snooping. Tara had agreed after a  
lot of begging and pleading to leave it   
alone.

" Oh David, what do I do now? " She   
whispered to the cold marble tombstone.  
" I'm so scared. What if they find out  
what I did? I've nearly lost them once   
already and I don't think I could  
survive without them. I just...I just  
can't tell them. I mean, I could but I  
can't. I can't remember enough to  
explain, and even if I did, I can't   
stand to even think about what I do  
remember so how would I tell them about  
what I don't remember, not that that's  
an issue since I don't remember. "

She hugged her legs to her chest as  
she squeezed her eyes closed. " It's  
killing me you know, not knowing. I...  
I go through each day wondering if this  
is going to be the day I remember, the  
day I'll get some answers, and it  
doesn't happen. It's like..."

She trailed off as her mind wrapped  
around the imagery from the nightmare.  
She remembered the woods, how quiet it  
was, the... She snapped her eyes open  
with renewed fear. She'd brushed all   
the old legends about Diablo forest  
and the old house as urban legends.  
Stories the adults used to keep their  
children from wondering into the  
wilderness of Sunnydale.

Even after she'd meet the slayer and  
discovered that all the big bad   
villains in fairytales were real, she  
still didn't believe the old tales.  
Because that's all they could possibly  
be right? But what if they were more  
than stories? What if they were real?  
What if...?

She quickly stood as she came to a   
decision. She had some research to do.  
After all, she owed it to David, if not  
herself.

------- 

Buffy stepped out from behind the  
tree with a sense of dread. She hadn't  
meant to listen to such a private  
moment, but she'd wanted to talk to the  
red head about the out burst. Even Dawn   
had been more worried than angry over  
the red head's yelling. Now she'd  
stumbled onto something that Willow  
had obviously wanted...needed to keep  
private, and damn it she should respect   
that. So why was the slayer in her  
making her stop in front of the grave?

' Don't look, don't look, don't  
look. You can still walk away, just  
don't look.. '

Her eyes slide over the head stone  
taking in each letter with a rapidly  
sinking heart.

David Joseph Rosenberg  
Beloved Son and Brother   
1975-1990

" Oh Willow..."

What was happening? What did Willow  
mean about not remembering what   
happened? Why didn't she known that her  
lover had a brother? Why didn't Xander  
ever mentioned him? Was that why  
Willow's parents were always ignoring  
her? Was that why Willow always took   
people's deaths so hard?

She sighed up at the clouded sky.  
How did Willow come to have so many  
secrets from them? No, it didn't  
matter. What mattered was making sure  
that whatever was going on didn't hurt  
her Willow anymore than it already had.  
What mattered was being there for  
Willow, unconditionally, the way the  
red head had always been there for her,  
and that was exactly what she was going  
to do.

In the meantime, she was going to  
find out everything she could about  
David.

------- 

Chapter: Two

-------   
Willow stared at the ex-vengeance  
demon behind the counter. She wasn't  
sure if she should trust the blonde or  
not. She was Xander's ex-fiancée, and  
therefore, not all bad, but she was  
still...Anya. Blunt, way too honest,  
more than a little unnerving, Anya.

" Should you be here? You haven't  
relapsed have you? If you have you  
better be here to spend money,  
otherwise I'm going to tell Buffy that  
you're dangerous. "

" Actually I needed to talk to   
someone." She said, walking over to the  
research table. 

" I don't know where Xander is and  
Buffy's not here. I also haven't heard  
from Tara since the wedding was called  
off, so shoo?"

" I don't want to talk to them. I  
want to talk to you."

The blonde eyed her with a dark   
suspicion that reminded her exactly why  
she was a vengeance demon. " You're not  
going to proposition me are you? I'm   
not into women anymore, although there  
was that princess that could..."

" Anya!! I'm not coming onto you. I  
have a problem that I need help with."

The ex-demon gaped at her in  
surprise. " And you came to me? Why? I  
thought you hated me. "

" I don't hate you, I just...don't   
understand you sometimes, but I really  
think that you're this cool, talented,  
smart woman. "

The ex-demon let out a choked sob  
and ran across the space between them,  
yanking the red head into a tight bear  
hug.

" Um..Anya..." 

" I thought you didn't like me, I  
mean Xander used to tell me that you  
guys liked me, but I always thought  
that you guys hated me. Everyone is  
always giving me this looks like how  
dumb can you be and telling me to be  
quiet and..." 

" Anya..."

The blonde stepped back with a   
glare. " Wait, you weren't just saying  
that because you need my help were you?  
Because if you were..."

Willow wearily sat on a nearby  
chair, unable to stay on her feet any   
longer. She was just so emotionally  
tired from everything she'd lived  
through. " No. I meant it. "

Anya nodded in satisfaction, and  
practically bounced into one of the   
seats. " Okay, tell me your problem, my  
new best friend and friend of my ex-  
fiancée that I still want to castrate   
but will probably marry anyway. "

Willow squeezed the blondes hand. "  
What do you know about the Diablo   
forest and Morrigan's old house? "

" Stay away from that. Even the  
council isn't dumb enough to get  
involved in that stuff. "

" Anya... I..." She closed her eyes  
trying to find someway to make the  
blonde understand, to make her see that  
she needed. " Are you capable of  
keeping a secret? "

" Of course. Vengeance demons are  
one of the most honorable demons in the   
underworld. "

Willow moved closer to the blonde,   
and ducked her head trying to force the  
words from her mouth. She had to tell  
the blonde what she knew. She had to if  
she was going to get some answers, now  
all she had to do was get the words  
out.

------- 

Buffy fumbled with the microfilm,  
trying to get the end into the slit.  
She could handle stakes, axes, knifes,  
swords, and any other weapon she was   
given time to learn, but she couldn't  
get a simple microfilm viewer. Why  
couldn't they make the blasted things  
more slayer friendly?

Finally the edge went into the turn  
thingy, and she flipped on the light.  
The blurred image of newspaper from   
March 25, 1990 she zoomed out until  
it was in focus. She immediately began  
to turn through the different pages and  
papers until she spotted the front  
page.

" Local football star missing. " She  
eyed the picture of the Diablo woods   
under the headline, then started to  
read the story. " David Rosenberg was  
reported missing after his nine year  
old sister was found wandering on the  
outskirts of the Diablo forest. Sources  
say Willow Rosenberg was dazed and  
unresponsive. Further reports have  
indicated that the younger sibling was   
covered in what has been identified as  
human blood. However the detectives in  
charge refuse to comment on the  
possible origins of the blood until DNA  
tests have come back. Detective Johnson  
has said that Willow Rosenberg is being  
held at Sunnydale Sanitarium due to the  
younger siblings history of mania. In  
the meantime, police have started  
putting together search parties in  
hopes of finding the town's star  
athlete. Anybody who wishes to  
volunteer for the search parties should   
report to Lieutenant Hanson at Marker  
Nine at the boarder of the Diablo  
woods. "

Buffy stared helplessly at the   
picture of the fifteen year old in a  
Sunnydale High school football uniform.  
He had dark red hair and the same  
piercing green eyes. He was boyishly  
handsome, obviously becoming a man that  
would have been gorgeous. His built was  
lean at about five foot six but she  
could tell that he was all muscle.

She turned the viewers knob sending  
the pages into a blur, until she found  
the front page of the next days paper.  
Immediately her heart dropped into her  
stomach as the headlines screamed at her   
in bold, large letters.

" Local Star Pronounced Dead. "

She rubbed her tired eyes, unable to  
stop imagining what Willow must have  
gone through. She could see the utter  
devastation on the red heads face. The  
guilt and hopelessness. Was that why  
Willow took her friends problems and   
death, so personally?

She flicked the viewer off. She   
needed more information but she was  
going to have to talk to Willow first,  
and hope the red head would give her  
the whole story. Hopefully.

------- 

" They never found his body? "

" No. " Willow whispered, turning   
her head from the blonde.

" His head? " 

Willow cringed visibly at the ex-  
demons blunt words, spoken with so much  
casualness.

" I'll take that as a no. So if  
there was no head, and no body, how do  
you know he's dead? "

" The blood. "

" Blood? What blood? " Anya asked,  
leaning forward suddenly as though she  
was being told the secret to life.

" I...I was covered in his blood. "

" You didn't tell me that. Why  
didn't you tell me that? That is  
important, therefore you should've told  
me about it. " Anya glared at her then  
immediately launched into another series  
of questions. " How much blood were you  
covered in? " 

Willow closed her eyes, fighting  
against the bile that was hiccupping it's  
way from her stomach. " Submerged. " 

" Oh. Did they find more blood  
anywhere? "

" No. "

" He's not dead." Anya said, getting  
up to get back to work.

" Wh-what do you mean he's not dead?  
" Willow forced her eyes open to eye the  
ex-demon. " The doctor said that he'd  
lost too much blood to survive. "

" The blood was used to curse you,  
and unless that bitch changed her  
psychopathic tendencies then your brother   
is attached to the curse. "

" What curse? How do I break it? "  
She asked.

Anya sobered quickly at her  
question. " Um..."

------- 

Buffy stood in the doorway of the  
bedroom watching the dark haired red   
head putter nervously around it. Dusting  
this, moving that, picking something up  
and putting it away. It was endearing,  
and completely Willow. She'd always  
start cleaning obsessively when she was  
scared or nervous. That or she'd find  
something to research and bury herself  
in it. But now, it worried her. After   
what she'd learned earlier it felt...  
doomy.

" Hey."

Willow quickly turned to the blonde  
and dropped her gaze. " Hey. Listen I'm  
sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have  
exploded like that, I mean you were only  
trying to do something nice for me and  
what do I do? I yell at you, and..."

" Your forgiven. " Buffy said,   
cutting her lover off. " Actually I was  
wanting..." 

" Actually I was wanting..."

They trailed off, smiling at each  
other. Buffy spoke up first. " Go   
ahead."

" Are you sure? Cause I could wait   
until..."

" No, I'm sure. "

Willow nodded reluctantly and  
started to pace in front of the sleigh   
style queen sized bed. " The reason I  
reacted so strongly is because... I had  
a brother and I killed him. " Willow  
took a deep breath, struggling to regain  
control over her emotions. " He was the  
only real family I had. My parents hated  
me because I was born this damaged,  
premature screw up, and David... He was  
everything any parent ever wanted. He  
excelled at anything he tried. He was  
quiet, shy, but still out going. He was  
Sunnydale High's star athlete. He was a   
straight A student and was always the  
teachers favorite student. Every girl  
swooned over him, and wanted to date  
him. He was their perfect child. "

" But me? My parents wanted to get  
an abortion, or anything else they could  
do to get rid of me. Except nothing they  
did worked. I was born two months  
premature, and was cranky and fussy.  
David practically raised me, because  
they wouldn't, and he hated them for it  
too. " Willow sped up her pacing. " When  
I was old enough I started having these  
episodes of Mania. I-I-I would start   
babbling non-stop, and I'd get worked up  
over the smallest things until I was out  
of control, I would make these stupid   
decisions at a moments notice, and they  
always ended up with someone hurt or  
embarrassed or something really really  
bad, and... "

Buffy grabbed the red head in mid  
babble and pulled her into her arms. "  
Shhh. It doesn't matter, it's in the  
past. All that matters is the present. "

" No, you don't understand. " Willow  
pulled away from Buffy's arms. " I  
begged and begged and begged David to  
take me to the old house and he  
wouldn't. I was so angry because it was   
my birthday and I thought that he should  
do anything I wanted because it was my  
birthday so I snuck out. I snuck out,  
knowing that he would come after me, and  
I went there anyway, expect I don't  
remember what happened because according  
to Anya I was cursed, and I was covered  
in his blood and I was all cut up and   
bloody and I have these nightmares where  
I remember something about what happened  
but then when I wake up I can't remember  
but I'm still scared out of my mind and  
Anya says that he's probably alive and  
somehow caught up in the curse and I  
have to break only Anya said..."

" I slept with Spike." 

Willow froze, and squinted at the  
blonde slayer. " What? "

" I slept with Spike...multiple  
times. " Buffy repeated.

The red head threw her arms around   
the slayer, kissing her all over her  
face. " Really?!! That's the sweetest  
thing anyone has ever told me. Wait,  
you're not just saying that to make me  
feel better are you? " 

Buffy laughed softly at the ex-  
witches reaction, hugging the red head  
back. " No, I meant it. Just like I  
meant it when I told you I loved you,  
which I always will, no matter what  
mistakes you've made. "

" Why? I mean I'm this horrible..."

" No!! " Buffy forced the red head  
to look her in the eye. " You're human,  
just like countless billion other people on  
this planet, and people aren't perfect.  
We make mistakes, we learn from them,  
and then we move on. "

" I love you. " Willow whispered.

" I love you too. " Buffy pulled the   
red head tighter. " And I promise that

no matter what it takes, we'll find your  
brother. "

Buffy slowly kissed the red head.  
She could see a red glow through her eye  
lids as the red head in her arms began  
to convulse violently. The slayer jerked  
back, keeping a grip on her lover.   
Willow's eye were rolled up into her  
head, the dark red blood rolling from  
the corner of her mouth, and nose, and  
then...it was over.

Gently, the slayer lowered the red  
head to the floor, immediately searching  
the ex-witches wrist for a pulse. " Oh  
god..."

" Buffy? What's going on? I thought   
I heard something and..." Dawn stopped  
just inside the doorway, staring at the  
unresponsive red head. " Is she...? "

Buffy looked up at her sister with  
tearful eyes. 

-------- 

Chapter: Three

-------- 

Heartbrokenly numb, the crying blonde  
clung to the red head with her face buried  
in Willow's cold neck. Everything except  
Willow was non-existent. The gentle nature  
Willow smell mixed with green apples. The soft fine  
skin that was rapidly becoming ridged and  
clammy. The satin dark red hair brushing  
against her face as she rocked their bodies  
together. 

" We need to call someone to get her body. "  
Dawn whispered from where she sat in front of  
her sister.

Buffy shook her head, pulling Willow's body  
closer to her. " It's alright. She's just  
sleeping. " The slayer tenderly kissed each  
eye lid. " ...and when she wakes up we'll have  
dinner and then we can watch a movie. "

" Buffy she's not sleeping. "

The slayer ignored her sister as her tears   
fell on Willow's lips. " I love you so much  
Will. It's like I never really knew what love  
was until I was in your arms. It's not the  
angsty over bearing love. It's like a steady   
burning flame that gets brighter with every  
passing moment, and it will always be there,  
forever, and..."

The violent sobs shook her body, forcing her  
into a loss of blinding fog. Needing to find  
Willow again, she crushed her lips into the   
red heads. Her tears coating their lips and  
tongues, burning into both mouths in a flash of  
blinding red light.

The cold stiff lips of her lover became warm as  
they responded to the slayer's need. Buffy's  
tears fell faster, covering their faces. The slayer,  
over come with the instinct to assure herself that   
Willow was really alive, began ripping the moaning  
red heads cloth's from her body. Willow apparently  
having the same idea, was tugging off the slayers own  
cloths.

" Oh, ew, yuck. Hey teenager in the room. Oh man, bad  
visual... way bad visual." Dawn squeaked, scrambling out  
of the room.

" Did...you...hear...soemth...mmmmmm..." Buffy dived  
back into Willow's mouth as they're bare skin finally touched.

" No. " Willow muttered harshly, flipping the  
slayer over so that she was on top.

A dim globe of red surrounded them, lifting them into the  
air, caressing and soothing them, winding in and around  
them in a whirl of flaming lust, sending their needs into the  
throws of heat.

Inquisitive fingers lightly skidded over plump breasts, tweaking  
erect nipples, rolling them until they became a painfully  
sensitive bomb waiting to go off. Pinching each small dark  
pebbles drawing out a series of whimpering moans that left  
the slayer writhing desperately against Willow.

The hollowed dimples on the slim muscular back twitched as  
Willow moved her assault down over the taunt skin that  
delighted and threatened her senses. Palms rubbed at the  
tightness and stress of the slayer's body. Each strand of   
tension, each worry line, each piece of evidence of  
what the slayer went through was her fault, and that was  
only one of many thoughts that ran rampage through her  
mind.

Smooth salty skin meet her tongue in an explosion of  
sensation through both bodies. Gasping in surprise her,  
Willow bit down on the slayer's breast, arching as what  
Buffy felt coursed through her own body. Moving to the  
blonde's other breast, she sucked the nipple between  
her teeth and nibbled at it.

Her mind reached out in search of Buffy's, wrapping  
through it in a flood of emotions. 

' Willow. '

' Buffy. ' Her mind sighed happily and sank completely  
into Buffy.

--------- 

Buffy combed her hand through the shock of dark red hair.  
It was so soft and thick that it soothed her hand's nerves.  
She'd always loved the way Willow's hair smelled and felt.  
The satin like hair had been a guilty obsession since they'd  
first met. Braided, short, long, in a pony tail, pig tails,  
it didn't matter.

She tightened her left arm around Willow's waist. Trying not  
to loose the feel of the red heads body burrowed on top of hers.  
Their breasts pressed together, legs intertwined, arms wrapped  
around each other. It was everything the slayer had ever  
dreamed of and wanted.

She rubbed her nose in the wavy thick hair, inhaling the  
mixture of green apples and vanilla. Her favorite scents  
in the whole world.

Her left hand slide up over the taunt curved back and over  
her neck. Reluctantly, she pried open her eyes to gaze at  
the emotionally and physically exhausted red head. She   
just couldn't get enough of seeing Willow's gorgeous body.

The way her buttocks curved perfectly into the dimple in her  
lower back. The way one of her ribs stuck out slightly and  
caused the red head to whimper deep in her throat. How her  
neck always produced a series of moans. The glint of light  
against the slim silver wedding band on her left hand...  
Wedding band?

She jerked her hand up with a strangled yelp. On her left ring  
finger was a slender dark silver wedding band, covered in what  
looked like runes. She could barely feel the ring that seemed  
to fit her finger perfectly.

Letting go of Willow's hair, she yanked at the ring, determined  
to get it off. Unfortunately, it seemed the ring had other ideas  
because it wasn't moving. At all.

" Mbftosert. "

Willow stretched against her, then began to nuzzle at the  
sensitive skin of Buffy's neck.

" Um...Will, I don't mean to break the moment but I have a  
problem. "

" Hmm? You want me to kiss it and make it better? "

Buffy swallowed hard at the predatory grin that perked up  
at her. In fact, the way the red head was suddenly gazing   
down at her reminded her of Sylvester always looked at  
Tweety. 

Attempting to keep some control over her already raging   
hormones, she held her left hand in front of Willow's face.  
But instead of being upset, concerned, or suspicious the red  
heads face brightened, as Willow held up her own hand revealing  
an identical wedding ring.

" I didn't get a chance to warn you cause of the whole dying  
thing. " Willow said.

" No, death bad. "

" Well look at it this way, one more time and we'll be even."

Buffy glared at the red head wanting to lay down the law on  
death, but she decided to wait until later. " What warning? "

" Oh, right the warning. " Willow tore her gaze from Buffy's.  
" You know how I was telling you there's a curse on me? "

" Yeah. "

" Well it's one of these several step curses. Anya said that I  
have to break it in steps, and the first step was that I had  
to be totally honest with my soul mate, and then we had to  
declare our love for each other and mean it. The idea being  
that the soul mate had to forgive me for anything I've done. "

" So I'm your soul mate? " Buffy asked quietly.

Willow nodded and dropped her head onto the slayers shoulder.

" What was the other parts? "

" When I died the next part was started. See for me to live  
you had to vow your eternal love to the gods, your tears  
were sort of like a lie detector test. "

" And? "

Willow snuggled deeper into Buffy's arms. " When you passed  
you basically married us. "

" M..m..married? " Buffy squeaked as darkness enveloped her.

"..." 

--------- 

Chapter: Four

-------- 

Willow shifted Buffy's favorite battle ax  
onto her right shoulder, before swinging her  
leg over the large fallen tree. Pulling her  
other leg over, she started deeper into the  
forest in the general direction of the old  
house.

She was determined to stop the bitch that  
had forced her lover into marrying her. It  
should have been a choice that Willow and  
Buffy made together. But that crazy, psychotic,   
deranged ass hole of a witch had ripped it  
from them and now Buffy was stuck with her  
despite the fact that the slayer obviously  
didn't want her.

She loved Buffy with everything she was,  
which was why she was willing to do anything   
to make her happy. Even if that something  
was to give Buffy a divorce, in the only  
way possible. Her death.

But like a famous movie once said, ' If  
I'm going to go, I'm taking you with me. '

" So the primitive decided she wants to  
play. "

The dark crackling rasp came from every  
where and nowhere. It was loud, quiet, a  
wind of an echo that shook the red head to  
her very soul. It soothed, hurt, and ripped  
at her heart until she shivered in uncontrollable  
fear. It existed, died, destroyed in a tidal  
wave of every fear, doubt, and hate that she  
would or ever had.

" You think you can kill me? "

Willow hefted the ax trying desperately  
to stop the quivering in her body. " No,  
but I'm going to give you a crash course  
in pain. "

She gasped as the mid-afternoon light  
disappeared into night. The surrounding   
trees spreading until she could make out  
the dirty white burnt out ruins of an old  
house. It was still standing even with all  
the history it had been through. The first  
house built on the continent. The first  
house that existed hundreds of years before  
anyone even considered that the world wasn't  
flat.

" Willow!!! "

The ex-witch turned at the sound of her   
lover. The slayer was sprinting towards her.  
The dirty blonde was abnormally pale and  
looked like she was on the verge of having  
a full blown panic attack.

Before she could react either way to the  
blondes presence, the slayer had pulled her   
into a possessive hug.

" Oh god, when I woke up and you weren't  
there... "

Willow sighed into the slayers hair, " I'm  
sorry I just wanted to give you back your  
freedom. "

The slayer pulled back in confusion, her  
eyes running over her's in an attempt to  
figure out what the red head meant. " I  
thought I was. "

" No. Morrigan had no right to force you  
into a marriage you don't want. "

" You're wrong. " Buffy whispered. " I  
have never wanted anything more. "

" B-but you passed out. You... "

" ...wasn't expecting that. " Buffy said.

" I... but we've only been together a day  
and... "

" We've practically been in a relationship  
for the last five years, and the idea of us  
being together forever is the most incredible  
gift I could ever have. "

Willow dropped her gaze to the ax. " I just.."

" I mean it Will. I want it all with you. Love,  
marriage, a family. " Buffy smiled gently at her   
wife. " Now let's get out of here before that  
witch decides to come out of hiding. "

" Too late. " Willow whispered, gazing over the  
slayers shoulder.

Standing a few feet from the ruins of the house  
was a raven haired woman, old and young, tall and  
short, beautiful and grotesque. " The mighty witch  
has returned. "

Willow stepped between the witch and the slayer.  
This was just like it happened last time. She could  
now clearly remember every detail, every nuance,  
and she was not going to just stand by and let  
it happen again.

" This ends now. "

" What are you doing? " Buffy asked.

Willow ignored the slayer. " I challenge you. Now. "

" A witches duel? " The raven haired creature asked.

" A witches duel. "

" No. I'm not about to let you get yourself killed. "  
Buffy cut in, her piercing eyes glaring between the two  
witches. " Besides, last time I checked you were a  
recovering addict. "

Willow tore her eyes away from the nightmarish figure  
across from her. " Part of the curse was turning any  
magic I did into black magic. She was getting a high  
off me. "

" I have to admit that you were an unusually strong  
primitive. Most can't survive the draining. "

Willow grabbed hold of the slayer as the rage  
began to take over the dirty blonde. " Easy. "

A force hit them hard, slamming them backwards  
until they connected with the nearest tree. Willow  
gasped as the air was violently forced from her  
lungs, and pushed herself up onto her knees. 

Her left hand came up, the palm faced toward the  
monster of her past. She felt the surge of magic  
leave her body and impact with Morrigan. The dark  
haired witch was lifted into the air, spinning  
faster and faster, until she was a circular blur. 

The witch came to a stop, hovering feet first  
above the forest floor with a cocked eyebrow.  
Immediately Willow felt her eye sight fade,  
leaving her in a world of darkness that  
started to trap her in her fear. There was  
no Buffy there, no forest or sky, no stars,  
just darkness holding all the boogeymen and   
monsters and...

" Will..."

A slim hand gripped her right hand tightly,  
giving her all the love and strength the slayer  
had. It wasn't a lot, but it was everything to  
her.

Pulling away from the fear, she searched her   
mind for some answer. ' When did this turn into  
a Disney cartoon. ' It was just like that movie  
that Dawn always watched when she was trying  
to be funny. What was it... The Sword in the   
Stone. She honestly thought that evil witch  
and her getting all sick was funny...

Concentrating on the deadliest, most painful  
disease she could remember, but everything she  
could think of took too long to kill. However,  
there was another option.

Thinking hard about what she needed to do,  
she threw a large amount of energy at the  
other witch, feeling the witches heart, and  
cutting off the arteries.

The piercing scream cut through the otherwise  
quiet air, stopping just as quickly as it started.  
She could feel the under current around her,  
easing the blindness from her eyes. Swirling  
around them in a gentle hug before fading and  
changing into a male form in front of them.

" David. "

She stood up on shaky legs and stepped towards  
the bo...the man that stood before her. He looked  
like he'd aged normally.

" It's about time. I thought I was going to be  
stuck playing Harvey to you for the rest of my  
life. " The lean red head flashed her a wide   
grin that told her that he found the whole  
thing too much fun to be mad.

The tears began to flow as she wrapped her arms   
around the sibling that had meant so much to her.  
His easy going attitude, his incredible sense  
of humor, it made it so much easier to get  
through the day, and now it was back.

" Come on sis, let's go home. "

--------- 

" I still don't understand the whole primitive/  
natural witch thing. " Xander objected.

Tara glanced up from where she was helping Dawn  
with the model kit she'd gotten from her newest   
love interest. " Primitive witches are able to  
convert dark magic into white magic. Unfortunately  
they're very rare now. "

" Their were a lot of witches in my family, but   
most of them were killed during the holocaust. "  
Willow leaned into her wife at the thought of  
all the people she lost during that time period.  
" The only witch that managed to get out of it  
alive was my great grandmother. "

" So the whole addiction thing was her feeding  
off you? " Dawn asked.

" Yeah. " Willow smiled at the giddy teen. 

Despite the girls initial trauma over being  
exposed to Buffy's relationship, she was  
ecstatic. She now had a larger, caring family.  
Plus, she now felt more secure in the knowledge   
that Willow wasn't going to just pick up and  
leave on her. 

Add to that, the latest turn in events.  
Dawn could also start to trust Willow  
again, since she'd discovered that most  
of the dark magic addiction had been  
due to the curse that had been placed on  
her.

" Hey, I'm the one that gave her the   
information. If it wasn't for me she'd  
still be an addict, loveless, and filled  
with guilt. "

Willow reached over and hugged the  
disgruntled ex-demon, and softly whispered.   
" Thank you. You're a good friend. "

Almost immediately the blonde sniffed,  
sounding suspiciously like she was going  
to cry. " Whatever. "

A soft tug on her arm made her glance  
up at a happy slayer. " I want to show  
you something. "

Willow let the slayer pull her to her  
feet and out the back door. " Um, Buffy,  
I've seen the back yard before. "

" Look over there. " Buffy smirked at her,  
as she directed the red heads eyes over to   
the left.

Where there had previously been a bare  
patch of grass, was now a large brick grill  
and a heavy, long picnic table.

It was strange. Most people would probably  
balk at the present, but to her it meant  
so much more.

She had once told Buffy that her vision  
of a real family was parents that actually  
took an interest in their children's lives.  
Occasional vacations, shopping, being  
grounded, and weekends where the family  
could have outdoor cook outs.

" Happy Birthday Will. "

It said to her that they were a family. 

--------- 

Announcers Voice:  
Next time on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

( Buffy and Willow are in the living room, which is lit by dozens of candles.  
They are naked and wrapped around each other. )

CUT TO

( A man that looks about Twenty Five and a geek enters the living room and   
gaps. He yanks on his tie, then makes a strange noise. )

MAN:   
I'm Fred Hersh, your social worker.

CUT TO

( Buffy and Spike kissing, all we can see are their heads. )

CUT TO

BUFFY:

I want to have your child.

CUT TO: 

( Willow glaring hard, and holding a stake. )

WILLOW: 

That's it, no more miss nice witch.

CUT TO

( Buffy crying )

CUT TO

( Willow slamming the front door. )


End file.
